Process for adding an organic compound to coolant water in a pressurized water reactor

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates generally to a process for a pressurized water reactor. The pressurized water reactor includes a primary circuit and a reactor core. The process includes adding a sufficient amount of an organic compound to coolant water passing through the primary circuit of the pressurized water reactor. The organic compound includes elements of carbon and hydrogen for producing elemental carbon.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a divisional application and claims thebenefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/414,748, filed on Mar.31, 2009, which is currently pending in the United States Patent andTrademark Office, and the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a process for adding anorganic compound to coolant water in a pressurized water reactor, andmore particularly, for adding the organic compound to coolant waterpassing through a primary circuit of the pressurized water reactor.

2. Background of the Invention

Crud is the result of corrosion products formed when structuralmaterials in the primary circuit, e.g., Reactor Coolant System (RCS),are exposed to coolant water, e.g., reactor coolant, during plantoperation. These corrosion products are subsequently released into thecoolant and can then deposit on the fuel in the reactor core. As corecrud deposit thickness increases, heat transfer decreases as compared tothe heat transfer of a clean surface. The temperature at the heattransfer surface will rise, increasing cladding corrosion. Minimizingfuel cladding corrosion is important to assure cladding integrity forall periods of plant operation. It is also an important consideration infuel rod and reactor core design. Historically, significant effort hasbeen expended in selection of corrosion resistant materials and indevelopment of chemistry control additives and plant operating practicesto minimize crud formation and crud deposition in the reactor core.

Crud induced power shift (CIPS) can occur when boron, which is presentas boric acid, a reactor coolant additive used to control reactivity ina commercial nuclear power plant, such as, a pressurized water reactor(PWR), accumulates to sufficiently high concentrations within core cruddeposits to suppress local neutron flux. This results in a shift inaxial power distribution away from the boron deposits. The occurrence ofCIPS during power operation at various commercial PWRs has beenattributed to sufficiently thick, localized corrosion product depositsin the upper spans of a PWR core coincident with locations where thehighest reaction steaming rates are predicted to occur. Locally thickcrud deposits can also reduce heat transfer and increase fuel claddingtemperatures which can lead to crud induced localized corrosion (CILC)and possibly fuel failures.

The injection of a soluble zinc additive to the reactor coolant of PWRshas been used for the purpose of radiation field reduction, generalcorrosion control, and primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC)mitigation. In the PWR system, water is used as the reactor coolant. Thewater is circulated by pumps through-out a primary circuit, i.e., theRCS, that includes a pressure vessel which houses the heat generatingreactor core, and a plurality of flow loops. The water in the primarycircuit normally contains boric acid to control reactivity, hydrogen toprovide reducing conditions, and an additive to maintain pH in a targetcontrol band. When “zinc addition” has been employed at a PWR, zincacetate has been the preferred additive that is added to the reactorcoolant. The use of zinc acetate was desirable because the acetate anionallowed for the zinc to be provided in a soluble form, and the anion andits decomposition products exhibited minimal or no detrimental effect onmaterials of construction in the RCS. The addition of zinc in the formof soluble zinc acetate has been utilized at a number of commercial PWRpower plants.

As a result of adding zinc acetate to the reactor coolant of PWRs,desirable changes have been observed in ex-core shutdown radiationfields and various characteristics of core crud deposits. However, zincacetate addition may result in various operation and/or designchallenges. There is a desire to find a reactor coolant additive thatcan be added to the coolant water to produce elemental carbon. Further,there is a desire to find a reactor coolant additive that can conditioncore crud deposits. Moreover, there is a desire to find a reactorcoolant additive to produce beneficial changes in the deposition andmorphology of crud deposits without the potential challenges of knownadditives. Such an additive would be desirable for use in a wide varietyof power plants, worldwide that utilize water reactor core designs.

Thus, it is further desired to develop a process for conditioning corecrud deposits that results in core crud deposits having at least one ofthe following features: (i) a change in morphology, e.g., crud is finergrained and/or less well-crystallized, (ii) a change in depositionpattern, e.g., the crud is thinner and/or more uniformly distributed,(iii) a decrease in residence time, e.g., the crud has a shorterresidence time on the core, and (iv) a change in composition, e.g., thecrud has a higher carbon content. Furthermore, it is desired to developa process that can inhibit CIPS, and/or CILC, and/or general claddingcorrosion and/or fuel failures in water reactors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the invention, a process for a pressurized waterreactor having a primary circuit and reactor core is provided. Theprocess includes adding a sufficient amount of an organic compound tocoolant water passing through the primary circuit of the pressurizedwater reactor, the organic compound including elements of carbon andhydrogen, for producing elemental carbon.

The organic compound can further include elements selected from thegroup consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, and mixtures thereof.

The equivalent elemental carbon addition rate can be maintained in arange of from about 1 mg/hour to about 10 g/hour.

The water reactor can be a nuclear reactor. The coolant water can be ina reactor coolant system of a nuclear reactor.

The organic compound can be selected from the group consisting oforganic acids, alcohols, amines, aldehydes, ketones, and mixturesthereof The organic compound can be selected from the group consistingof acetic acid, methanol, ethanol, ethylamine, ethanolamine, andmixtures thereof. The organic compound can be substantially soluble.

The process can further include producing corrosion product deposits inthe reactor core including elemental carbon in a range of from about 15to about 20 percent by weight of the deposits.

The radiation level in the reactor core can be up to about 4000Mrad/hour from gamma and neutrons. The hydrogen concentration in thereactor core can be greater than 0 cc/kg, or from about 25 to about 50cc/kg.

The organic compound can be added on a continuous or batch basis.

The organic compound can be in a high purity form.

The process can further include producing corrosion product deposits inthe reactor core wherein the elemental carbon is produced in an amounteffective to change at least one of the morphology, deposition pattern,residence time and carbon content of crud deposits in the reactor coreas a result of adding the organic compound.

The process can further include producing corrosion product deposits inthe reactor core wherein the elemental carbon is produced in an amounteffective to inhibit at least one of crud induced power shift, crudinduced localized corrosion, cladding corrosion in the reactor core, andfuel failures as a result of adding the organic compound.

In another aspect of the invention, a process for a nuclear reactorhaving a primary circuit is provided. The process includes adding asufficient amount of an organic compound to coolant water passingthrough the primary circuit of the nuclear reactor, the organic compoundincluding elements of carbon and hydrogen, for producing elementalcarbon.

The organic compound can further include elements selected from thegroup consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, and mixtures thereof.

The equivalent elemental carbon addition rate can be maintained in arange of from about 1 mg/hour to about 10 g/hour.

The nuclear reactor can be a pressurized water reactor.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a nuclear reactor having areactor coolant system wherein the reactor coolant system containsreactor coolant circulating therethrough is provided. The reactorcoolant includes an organic additive, the organic additive includeselements of carbon and hydrogen, and the organic additive being presentin the reactor coolant in an amount sufficient to produce elementalcarbon.

The organic compound can further include elements selected from thegroup consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, and mixtures thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As used herein and the claims, CIPS refers to a shift in core axialpower which is greater than or equal to three percent (3%) of thepredicted core axial power as a result of concentration/deposition ofboron in corrosion product deposits in regions of the fuel undergoingsub-cooled nucleate boiling. Boron, which accumulates in thick corrosionproduct deposits in the reactor core, can cause local depressions inneutron flux that shifts power axially. This complicates control by thereactor operators, and in cases where CIPS is severe, may limit theplant to less than 100% rated power output. As core crud depositthickness increases, the temperature at the heat transfer surface willrise, increasing general cladding corrosion. Locally thick crud depositscan lead to CILC and possibly fuel failures.

The process of the present invention relates to the addition of anorganic compound to the coolant water of a pressurized water reactor.The coolant water passes through the primary circuit of the pressurizedwater reactor. The process may serve to modify the corrosion products(i.e., crud) that circulate in the coolant water and/or form films ordeposits in the reactor core. Further, addition of the organic compoundto the coolant water results in the production of elemental carbon(e.g., in the reactor core, primary coolant, and/or corrosion productstherein). Without intending to be bound by any particular theory, it isbelieved that elemental carbon is produced from the additive by thecombined effect of the high radiation levels in a reactor core whencriticality is achieved and the dissolved hydrogen concentration in thereactor coolant. In an embodiment, the radiation levels in the core andthe dissolved hydrogen concentration in the reactor coolant are eachmaintained in a range within industry standards for PWR operation. Inanother embodiment, the radiation level in an operating reactor core canbe up to about 4000 Mrad/hour from both gamma and neutrons. In otherembodiments, the dissolved hydrogen concentration in the reactor corecan be greater than zero (0) cc/kg, or from about 25 to about 50 cc/kg.

It is further believed that the in-core radiation fields radiolyticallydecompose the organic molecule, and the reducing conditions produced bythe hydrogen, present as an integral component of the nominal PWRchemistry control specifications, result in a portion of the freeradical species arising from the organically bound carbon beingdeposited as elemental carbon. The addition of zinc acetate to thereactor coolant can lower ex-core radiation fields, slow both initiationand propagation of PWSCC in Alloy 600, and result in thinner, finergrained, more uniformly distributed core crud deposits with shorter coreresidence times and higher carbon content. In the present invention, theaddition of an organic additive to the reactor coolant, e.g., in asufficient amount to produce elemental carbon, can modify the morphologyand deposition pattern of the core crud deposits to result in thinner,finer grained, less well-crystallized, more uniformly distributed corecrud deposits with shorter core residence times and higher carboncontent, with minimal or no impact on ex-core oxide films and withoutthe addition of zinc.

In accordance with the present invention, an organic compound is addedto the coolant water, such as reactor coolant, of a pressurized waterreactor. Suitable organic compounds include those organic compoundsknown in the art which are made up of at least carbon and hydrogen. Inan embodiment, the organic compound may also include nitrogen, oxygen,and mixtures thereof. Thus, in alternate embodiments, organic compoundsfor use in the present invention can include those containing at leastcarbon and hydrogen, or at least carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, or atleast carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen, or at least carbon, hydrogen,oxygen, and nitrogen. In a preferred embodiment, the additive ismiscible with, or substantially soluble in, the coolant water. However,even immiscible or only slightly soluble organic additives can be usedwherein less control of the addition rate is acceptable. Non-limitingexamples of suitable organic compounds for use in the present inventioncan include organic acids such as, but not limited to, acetic acid,alcohols such as, but not limited to, methanol and ethanol, aldehydes,amines, ketones, and mixtures thereof. Other non-limiting examples caninclude soluble or slightly soluble organic compounds that contain atleast carbon and hydrogen, and optionally oxygen, such as but notlimited to, ethylacetate, and/or optionally nitrogen, including organicamines such as, but not limited to ethylamine and ethanolamine. In anembodiment, high purity forms of the organic compound are usedconsistent with standard industry practice of limiting impurities to aslow as reasonably achievable (ALARA) in any additive to the reactorcoolant of a PWR.

The organic compound can be added to the coolant water using a varietyof conventional mechanisms known, such as, for example but not limitedto, injection. The addition can be conducted, for example, on a batch ora continuous basis. In a non-limiting embodiment, the organic compoundis continuously injected into the reactor coolant. Further, in anon-limiting embodiment, the injection can be employed during poweroperation. The organic compound is injected into the reactor coolant ata rate sufficient to produce elemental carbon. In an embodiment, therate of injection of the organic compound is sufficient to produceelemental carbon in an amount that is effective to change the morphologyand deposition pattern of the core crud deposits as previously describedherein. In one embodiment, the organic compound is injected into thereactor coolant at a rate sufficient to provide an equivalent elementalcarbon addition rate maintained in the range of from about 1 mg/hour toabout 10 g/hour. Injection of the organic compound at a rate within thisspecified range can be sufficient to produce corrosion product depositsin the reactor core that contain elemental carbon in the range of fromabout 15 to about 20 percent by weight of the deposits.

Without intending to be bound by any particular theory, it is believedthat the deposition of elemental carbon on the reactor core cladding andon developing core crud deposits favorably affects the morphology anddeposition pattern of the core crud deposits such as to reduce the riskof CIPS/CILC occurring and/or to reduce general fuel cladding corrosionand fuel failures. It is further believed that the presence of theorganic additive serves to condition and control the core crud retentionand release to minimize the potential for CIPS/CILC and to reducegeneral fuel cladding corrosion and fuel failures. For example, duringpower operation, the injection of an organic compound into the reactorcoolant at a rate that is effective to produce elemental carbon in aneffective amount, or at an effective rate, or in a predeterminedspecified range, can produce core corrosion product deposits having atleast one desirable characteristic such as, for example but not limitedto, (i) a change in morphology, e.g., crud is finer grained and/or lesswell-crystallized, (ii) a change in deposition pattern, e.g., the crudis thinner and/or more uniformly distributed, (iii) a decrease inresidence time, e.g., the crud has a shorter residence time on the core,and (iv) a change in composition, e.g., the crud has a higher carboncontent. These changes are as compared to core corrosion productdeposits produced under nominal PWR reactor coolant chemistry operatingconditions.

Zinc Acetate Addition Evaluations

Zinc acetate addition has been employed at an increasing number of PWRsto lower ex-core radiation fields and to provide PWSCC protection toaustenitic stainless steel and nickel based alloys that are used both inconstruction of the pressure boundary of the RCS and structuralcomponents within the RCS as discussed in Pressurized Water ReactorPrimary Water Zinc Application Guidelines. EPRI, Palo Alto, Calif.:2006. 1013420. Following the initial use of zinc addition at Plant Aduring Cycle 10, visual examination of the core during the refuelingoutage showed a uniform-appearing black deposit over the full height ofthe fuel assemblies as described in Evaluation of Zinc Addition to thePrimary Coolant of PWRs. EPRI, Palo Alto, Calif.: October 1996.TR-106358, Vol. 1. Measurements made on samples of crud removed fromthese fuel assemblies by scraping showed that the crud deposits wereextremely thin (<0.5 μm) compared to previous operating cycles at thisplant, even in the hottest spans where maximum sub-cooled nucleateboiling was predicted and maximum crud thickness was normally observed.The visual appearance of this crud was described as highly unusual.

The Plant A Cycle 10 fuel deposits were also described as different fromfuel crud deposits formed on cores where zinc acetate addition had notbeen used. It was noted that the sooty-looking deposits could be easilyremoved by the sampling tool and were not nearly as tenacious as crud oncores where zinc acetate addition was not used. Residence timecalculations for this crud showed that these deposits remained on thecore about half as long as crud from this plant in the previous cycle ofoperation when zinc acetate was not added.

A study was conducted as described in Evaluation of Fuel Clad CorrosionProduct Deposits and Circulating Corrosion Deposits in PWRs, EPRI, PaloAlto, Calif., and Westinghouse Electric Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.: 2004.1009951, where core crud deposits from nine operating commercial PWRswere removed, analyzed, and compared. One of the nine PWRs, Cycle 11 atPlant B, was operating with zinc acetate addition to the RCS. The corecrud deposits for this plant were found to contain carbon and weredescribed as thinner, less crystalline, and more mobile when compared tocore crud for plants not adding zinc acetate. The morphology of the corecrud deposits at Plant B after Cycle 11 was further described assub-micron in size and having no display of distinct crystal faces. Thisobservation was in marked contrast to the morphology of core cruddeposits at the plants that did not add zinc acetate. The morphology ofcore crud at the plants not adding zinc acetate was described asconsisting of well-crystallized micron-sized particles.

As described in Evaluation of Fuel Cladding Corrosion and CorrosionProduct Deposits from Callaway Cycle 13: Results of PoolsideExaminations Following One Cycle of Zinc Addition. EPRI, Palo AltoCalif.: 2005. 1011088, core crud examinations at Plant C after Cycle 13,the initial cycle of operation with zinc acetate addition to the RCS,were also conducted. The post-zinc acetate addition core crud depositswere compared to pre-zinc acetate core deposits at this same plant andwere described as being different in chemical composition and depositmorphology, thinner, more widely distributed over the core, lessactivated, and more easily released upon shutdown.

The following results of the second cycle of zinc acetate addition atPlant C were described in Evaluation of Fuel Cladding Corrosion andCorrosion Product Deposits from Callaway Cycle 14: Results of PoolsideMeasurements Following Two Cycles of Zinc Addition. EPRI, Palo Alto,Calif., 2006. 1013425. In the core crud examination after Cycle 14, itwas noted that carbon was an elemental component of the core cruddeposits. The transition to crud that was less activated (i.e., lowerspecific activity and lower residence time) during Cycle 13 hadcontinued in Cycle 14.

In addition to examination of fuel crud deposits, cladding corrosionmeasurements were also performed at a number of plants before and afterimplementing zinc acetate addition. Plants operating with zinc acetateaddition had lower oxide thickness measurements, on average, than plantsoperating without zinc acetate addition. The actual measured valuescould also be compared to the oxide thickness as predicted based oncorrosion models. Plant D experienced corrosion consistent with thepredictions prior to adding zinc acetate, whereas fuel rods which hadbeen exposed to zinc acetate experienced less corrosion than predicted.

Thus, examination of fuel from PWR power plants which add zinc acetatehas shown beneficial changes in crud such as, for example but notlimited to, thinner core crud deposits, shorter residence time of corecrud deposits, higher carbon content of core crud deposits, and finergrained, less well-crystallized core crud deposits.

In accordance with the present invention, beneficial changes in crud canbe attained by adding to the coolant water of a pressurized waterreactor an organic compound which is made up of at least carbon andhydrogen, but optionally may also include oxygen, nitrogen, and mixturesthereof. In an embodiment, the pressurized water reactor is a nuclearreactor. In a further embodiment, the nuclear reactor includes reactorcoolant circulating through the Reactor Coolant System (RCS). Additionof the organic compound additive can condition core crud deposits.Further, the organic additive can produce beneficial changes in thedeposition and morphology of crud deposits. The resultant core cruddeposits can have at least one of the following features: (i) a changein morphology, e.g., crud is finer grained and/or lesswell-crystallized, (ii) a change in deposition pattern, e.g., the crudis thinner and/or more uniformly distributed, (iii) a decrease inresidence time, e.g., the crud has a shorter residence time on the core,and (iv) a change in composition, e.g., the crud has a higher carboncontent. It is believed that these beneficial changes in core crud areeffective to inhibit CIPS, and/or CILC, and/or general fuel claddingcorrosion, and/or fuel failures.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described indetail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and alternatives to those details could be developed inlight of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, theparticular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only andnot limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given thefull breadth of the claims appended and any and all equivalents thereof.

1. A nuclear reactor having a reactor coolant system wherein the reactorcoolant system contains reactor coolant circulating therethrough, thereactor coolant comprising an organic additive, the organic additiveselected from the group consisting of: elements of carbon and hydrogen,elements of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen, elements of carbon, hydrogenand oxygen, and elements of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, wherein the reactor coolant water excludes the presence of inorganiccompounds with the exception of a sufficient amount of boric acid tocontrol reactivity, hydrogen to provide reducing conditions, an additiveto maintain pH in a target control band and trace elements naturallyoccurring in water, and  wherein the organic additive is present in thereactor coolant in an amount sufficient to produce elemental carbon. 2.The nuclear reactor of claim 1, wherein the organic additive is selectedfrom the group consisting of organic acids, alcohols, amines, aldehydes,ketones, and mixtures thereof.
 3. The nuclear reactor of claim 1,wherein the organic additive is selected from the group consisting ofacetic acid, methanol, ethanol, ethylamine, ethanolamine, and mixturesthereof.
 4. The nuclear reactor of claim 1, wherein the organic additiveis substantially soluble.
 5. The nuclear reactor of claim 1, wherein acore radiation level in said nuclear reactor is up to about 4000Mrad/hour from gamma and neutrons.
 6. The nuclear reactor of claim 1,wherein the organic additive is in a high purity form consistent withstandard nuclear industry practice of limiting impurities to as low asreasonably achievable (ALARA) for an additive to the coolant water of apressurized water reactor.
 7. The nuclear reactor of claim 1, whereinthe elemental carbon produced is an amount effective to inhibit at leastone of crud induced power shift, crud induced localized corrosion,cladding corrosion in the reactor core, and fuel failures.
 8. Thenuclear reactor of claim 1, wherein the nuclear reactor is a pressurizedwater nuclear reactor.
 9. An additive composition for reactor coolant ina primary circuit of a nuclear reactor, comprising: an organic componentselected from the group consisting of: elements of carbon and hydrogen,elements of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen, elements of carbon, hydrogenand oxygen, and elements of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen,wherein the reactor coolant excludes the presence of inorganic compoundswith the exception of a sufficient amount of boric acid to controlreactivity, hydrogen to provide reducing conditions, an additive tomaintain pH in a target control band and trace elements naturallyoccurring in water, and wherein the additive is present in the reactorcoolant in an amount sufficient to produce elemental carbon.
 10. Theadditive composition of claim 9, wherein the organic additive isselected from the group consisting of organic acids, alcohols, amines,aldehydes, ketones, and mixtures thereof.
 11. The additive compositionof claim 9, wherein the organic additive is selected from the groupconsisting of acetic acid, methanol, ethanol, ethylamine, ethanolamine,and mixtures thereof.
 12. The additive composition of claim 9, whereinthe organic compound is substantially soluble.
 13. The additivecomposition of claim 9, wherein said additive composition is introducedinto the reactor coolant on a continuous basis.
 14. The additivecomposition of claim 9, wherein said additive composition is introducedinto the reactor coolant on a batch basis.
 15. The additive compositionof claim 9, wherein said additive composition is introduced into thereactor coolant in an amount such that the equivalent elemental carbonaddition rate is maintained in a range of from about 1 mg/hour to about10 g/hour.